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Meehan resigns, vows to repay $39K harassment settlement

Rep. Patrick Meehan resigned from Congress on Friday but vowed to repay taxpayers tens of thousands of bucks he used to settle a sexual harassment declare.

“i will pay $39,000.00 to the U.S. Treasury to reimburse for the severance payment that become crafted from my workplace account,” Meehan said in a assertion. “That fee might be made inside 30 days of my resignation from the residence of Representatives. I did not want to go away with any question of violating the agree with of taxpayers.”

The Pennsylvania Republican had introduced in January that he would not are trying to find reelection, news that observed revelations he used taxpayer price range to settle a sexual harassment case involving a former staffer. He said resigning now is within the hobby of his parts.

Meehan had misplaced his seat on the house Ethics Committee days earlier than it commenced an investigation into the allegations in January. In an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer, he mentioned telling a female staffer that he saw her as “a soul mate” and conceded he reacted “poorly” when he discovered out the girl changed into in a extreme courting with another man and may leave his office. Meehan, who is married, wrote the female a letter in can also 2017 in which he thanked God for placing her in his existence and signed it, “With all my heart, Patrick.”

Gov. Tom Wolf will call a special election for the the rest of Meehan's unexpired time period, however the Democratic governor has wide latitude approximately when to agenda that election and could preserve it concurrent with the general election in November.

The country’s congressional map changed into thrown out with the aid of the courts in advance this 12 months and replaced with new district lines. A special election for Meehan’s unexpired term will be held beneath the vintage traces — a battleground district break up among Democrats and Republicans. The redrawn seat on the overall election poll is extra Democratic-leaning, and the GOP is probable to lose the district in the new Congress subsequent year.

there is no primary for the special election; the nominees will be picked by way of the parties.

Meehan denied any wrongdoing however suggested his early exit from the residence is meant to spare his staff from “the trials of an Ethics Committee investigation.”

“[I] believed it was best for them to have a head begin on new employment as opposed to being caught up in an inquiry,” he stated. “And considering the fact that i have selected to surrender, the inquiry will no longer come to be a burden to taxpayers and committee team of workers.”

Meehan’s resignation means two Pennsylvania seats may be vacant over the coming months. Fellow GOP Rep. Charlie Dent has stated he intends to renounce later this spring rather than entire his time period.

“although I wish my time in Congress could have completed in a extra gratifying way, i am proud of our accomplishments and thank the residents of my district for his or her self belief in me during the last 8 years,” Meehan stated. “I apprehend that there are components who're dissatisfied within the manner wherein I dealt with the situation that brought about my selection not to are searching for re-election and want I had carried out better through them.”